New Dawn
by icancook
Summary: A sequel to my first fic, Safe Horizon. Updated. White is promoted to lead the light infantry after his victorious but brutal confrontation with Cerebrate Hanoe and his brood. In this story, my UED characters meet face to face with the Starcraft legends


New Dawn

A sequel to Safe Horizon

**PROLOGUE: Flight Pattern Echo, 1 hour away from Checkpoint New Dawn, 6/10/2556, 2224 GMT Earth**

Newly promoted Lance Corporal Murtaugh, responded to his call sign Rogue 30."

"Rogue 30 what is your position over?"

He was nervous but tried not to show it as he piloted the drop ship towards the floating vessel, a tanker that had been savagely attacked by Zerg. His drop ship carried a small detachment of marines, dispatched to recon and, if possible, to salvage the ship. Upon approach, Rogue 30, along with two wraith fighters providing escort, circled the vessel and tried to hail it several times. There was no response. There were body parts floating around the craft, both Zerg and human. The sight of viscera had a gloomy effect on the mood of all aboard the drop ship. "Cornerback, this is Rogue 30. We are approaching UV (unidentified vessel). We have visual. Scans show no signs of life except on deck 2…"

"Roger that Rogue 30"

"Cornerback, this is Linebacker 1 (a cloaked wraith fighter), we are circling the UV…. concur and request advisement…over."

"Rogue 30 to Cornerback, based on current SITREP, request immediate advisement regarding UV. It doesn't look pretty." After his encounter at Uramon 18, Lance Corporal Murtaugh was not at all pleased with the possibility of facing the Zerg again.

"Rogue 30, Linebacker 1, this is Safety... will advise momentarily." The comment brought comfort to Murtaugh as he had recognized the voice of Safety, the newly promoted Colonel Robert White. White's exploits at Uramon 18 had quickly spread throughout the Battlegroup Cornerback. The voice comforted the Light Marines that their senior officer had taken an interest in what would normally be delegated to a lower rank.

"Rogue 30, this is Safety. Watch your HUD display. The life scan shows over three hundred corpses and one life form barely breathing. It's on Deck 2. It's a Class C tanker. You see that hull breach…that's where a scourge hit and the Zerg entered through it. You can clearly recognize the blast pattern and the acid and blood on the fringe of the breach." White was now drawing a diagram on the HUD tactical display aboard Rogue 30. Despite being far away, he was able to communicate on the HUD from the battle group flagship _Einstein_. The corporal and his men watched and listened carefully as White mapped the approach. They were listening to a man who had earned their respect, "I want you to attach your drop ship here at the breach point. You will enter in loose deuce formation. Heavy Guns up front. Head directly to Deck 2. See about that survivor. If he or she is alive, and not infested, that will be your first priority. After that, see what we can do about sealing the breach and salvaging the ship."

"Safety, any contingencies if things get dicey?" Murtaugh betrayed his nervousness with the question. He had legitimate concerns for his platoon. Being in the loose deuce deployment meant pairs of marines would enter the vessel in five second intervals and it would be a pity to lose good men. Vulnerability was always a risk. Still Murtaugh had to admit that Colonel White knew what he was doing, trying to set up the best possible way to minimize risk to accomplish the mission. If things went awry, the limited deployment could retreat ease at minimum risk. White was experienced in combat in a variety of situations. Besides, after Uramon 18, Colonel White was held in awe.

"Rogue 30, with your ability and your backup with the Linebackers, things are not going to get there. If things get ugly, disengage and get out. However, I think you are quite capable." It had been a calculated gamble on White's part to state that. He decided to trust his instincts. It was one life form, terran-sized, against a platoon of Lights. The ultraviolet scan technology detected no other life forms. The Linebackers had reported no Overlords in the area and no scourge either. White felt comfortable delegating the rest of this operation to the corporal, and yet he still wanted to track it

"Roger that Safety. Good to go. Rogue 30 out." Murtaugh was determined not to let the Colonel down.

"Linebacker to Safety. Will circle about UV and provide cover fire if necessary.

Linebacker maneuvered to cover Rogue 30's approach. As the drop ship secured itself to the tanker, Rogue 30 braced for impact and debarkation. The door etched open slowly as the ramp gradually lowered itself. 

Corporal Murtaugh quickly entered the cargo tanker with PFC Wade. Others of the Lights adeptly followed him in formation as the marines quickly reconnoitered the area. PFC Wade was in front of the platoon, at point, armed with a Vulcan gatling gun. They swept up the stairs to Deck 2. Body parts and blood of Zerg and human floated around the ship. Wade let loose a few rounds at what he thought was a live zergling. It brought the troop column to a halt as the marines and the two medics got nervous.

"It's okay corporal. I just wanted to make sure that the Zerg was dead."

"The only good Zerg is a dead one, Wade." The corporal had crouched down with his gauss rifle up. "Okay keep moving. Get to that life form up front. On the double."

Wade moved quick now. If there were Zerg aboard, they would have attacked by now. Their bloodlust was not disciplined enough to set up an ambush if there were no overminds or cerebrates nearby. This much the UED Light Marines had learned in their encounters at Uramon.

The medics moved quickly up to Murtaugh's position. They passed a few human corpses. These poor souls had fought desperately. One had been impaled into the wall of the ship by two blade arms of a hydra. The hydra, however, had taken a point blank shot to the mouth. Battlefield Corpsman Julie Gillette spoke on her COM link, "A lot of blood and parts floating around Corporal, be advised this is a serious biohazard area." She was using the weightlessness of space to jump up to Deck 2. . 

PFC Wade trained his Vulcan on the area where the sole life form could be seen breathing. He swept the heavy massive machine gun to practice his field of fire. He aimed at the singular life form. It was a man surrounded by dead Zergling and Hydras. The prone man had a gauss rifle, but he remained motionless. He could be heard saying under his breath, "Oh man….".as he lapsed in and out of consciousness.

"OK Wade, hold there. The medics are on their way. The rest of you spread out and secure the perimeter." It was Murtaugh. Team Rogue had started going down to Deck 4 and up towards Deck 1.

"Sir, yes sir," Wade smiled. It had been a running joke between him and Murtaugh. The newly promoted corporal took a lot of ribbing from Wade who was always on point. The two respected each other but it was different now, with the change of rank.

Murtaugh responded, "Yeah right Wade. You got enough firepower in that gun to wipe out the entire deck. Stay put. That position is optimal for your field of fire and range."

"Corporal, message from Safety on TAC 2" It was Battlefield Corpsman Julie Gillette. Technically, she outranked him, but she knew that the young corporal was trying to come to grips with his newly found authority.

"Rogue 30, this Safety, give me a SITREP and patch through the TAC CAM (Tactical camera) over." White had been eyeing this situation from afar. He felt it was time to help out the corporal. He had overheard the verbal exchange between Wade and Murtaugh, and thought it would be best to maintain a presence.

"Safety this is Rogue 30. We have biohazard 3 area aboard the tanker on deck 2. Looks like this was the last stand for these folks. Most unarmed. Several women and children. Checking on that life form now. Switch to F 30-659 for TAC CAM." It was the camera attached to Corpsman Gillette's headgear.

White had punched in the access code for the signal on that camera. He focused on the man who was lapsing in and out of consciousness. He could hear Gillette on the COM link. "He's alive. We can handle this. Minor wound to the arm. Minor concussion. Major blow to the sternum, too. Lucky he had heavy armor."

"Safety to Rogue 30, can you identify the subject?" There was something about this individual that looked familiar to White.

"Gillette, anything about the patient in terms of ID?" It was Murtaugh

"No sir, but the armor is still on and will need to stay that way, or at least until we get aboard the drop ship where we can take a closer look and remove the armor."

"Safety to Rogue 30, acknowledged. Good Job. Think the bucket can be salvaged?" 

Murtaugh was ready to update Colonel White. "Safety, I think we're going to need a tow. The Pvt. Niles, our SCV engineer says that engines need a little work and the computer hardware took some battle damage, but the breach and the ship as a whole are salvageable."

"Rogue 30, Great news, but I want that injured man back here ASAP. I am dispatching a tow team of wraiths and a dropship for you and your men. Send the other one back ASAP with the medics."

Corporal Murtaugh beamed with pride as he and his team had finished the task quickly. "Roger that Safety. Rogue 30 out." The corporal now relaxed as he turned of his COM link with Safety. He then bellowed, "OOOOOOORRRRRRAAAAAHHHH…let's go marines, secure this bucket of bolts and for god sake get the vacuum and clean up the blood."

White turned off the COM and motioned over the bridge officer. "I want you to dispatch another drop ship over to that location along with two wraiths for escort, lieutenant." Normally, the Commodore would not have been pleased with such a deployment or happy with the fact that White had called forth resources without his approval, but the Commodore was sleeping after a hard 14 hour command shift and the lieutenant was not going to question a reputable officer.  
White believed he knew the identity of the man in the armor, but he did not comment, for fear of making a mistake. He recognized the beard and the eyes. But he had to hear the voice. He needed to hear the voice to be sure. He suspected the individual who was now being floated into the drop ship to be James Raynor.


End file.
